System and apparatus for farm cultivation and harvesting



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R. ROMAINE. SYSTEM AND APPARATUS POR FARM GUL'I'I'VATION AND HARYBSTIN'G.

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R'. ROMAINE. Y SMSTBM AND APPARATUSFOR.FARM'UULTIVATION AND HARVBSTING. No. 292,511. Patented Jan. 29, I18811.

(No Model.) 12 sheets-sneer .3. R. ROMANE. v

RM GULTIVATION AND HARVESTING.

SYSTEM AND v'LxBInLxRA'UJs PQR PA.

` Patented Jan. 29, 1884.

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(No Model.) 12 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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SYSTEM AND APPARATUS EUR FARM GULTIVATION AND HARVESTING. No. 292,511'. Patented Jam` 29, 1884.

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12 Sheets-Sheet 54 (No Model.)

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SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FoAgFAAA SQLTWAUGN AND HARVESTING.

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12 Sheets--Sheet 6, .1101/1111115 SYSTEM AND'APPRATUS PoR FARM -GULTWATION AND HARV-ESTING. No. 292,511.

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I 'atelled Jan. 29,1884.

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lSYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR' FARM GULTIVATION AND HARVESTING. 110.292,511. 1121611161 Jan. 29, 1884.

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SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR FARM ULTIVATIN AND HARVESTING'. No. 292,511. Patented Jan. 29, 1884.

W1 TJVESSES (VNO` Model.)l .l y 12 Sheets-Sheet 9.

'EN ROMAINE.

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR FARM GULTIVATION AND HARVESTING.

W1 TJVESSES JJVVEJVTOR Harney/S BJQMAINE. SYSTEM AND APPARATUS EUR FARM GULTIVATION AND HARVBSTING. No. 292.5141. Patented Jan. 29, 1884.

(No Model.) 12 Sheets-Sheet 10.

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A E l 12 sheets-sheen 11. ILR()M1AYII\IBl SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Poi'ffuua NATION AND HARVBSTING. No,4 292.511. Patented Jan. 29, 1884.

(N6 Model.)

(No Model.) 12 Sheets-Sheet 12.`

R. R@AfL/AIASE. SYSTEM AND APPARATUS F'R EAJRMVGLTIVATION AND HARVBSTINS. No. 292,511. l Patented Jan. 29, '18.84.

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UNrrED STATES "P'ATsNr @Errea 'nonnnT noMAINn, or OTTAWA, ONTARIO, eANADA.

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR FARM CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292-,5`11,'dated January 29, 1884.

Application tiled November (i, 1882. (No modll.)

To a/ZZ whom it 71mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT ROMAINE, of

Ottawa, in the county of Carleton, Province of ',Ontario, Canada, have invented certain Improvements in Systems of and Apparatus for 4Farm Cultivation and Harvesting, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of the invention will be more fully ascertained from the following statement:

I. To place in the hands of farmers, gardeners, and others who require it, a powerful steam self-propelling locomotive :machine and apparatus, supported and propelled at each end by means of an endless railway (more particularly described hereinafter) en circling andtraveling round in conjunction with two ormore broad Wheels or rollers, which machinery and apparatus are suspended high enough above the ground to permit them to pass and travel over V feet broad, cultivating and harvesting a strip of land about ifty feet wide, .leaving both ends of the locomotive-bridge o\*erhanging about eight feeti-romthe inside of the two endless railways and bearing-wheels, on which ends are carried the requisite motive power, coalbunks, water-tanks, Sie., all properly housed,

and sheltered from dust, dirt, the weather, and from the liability, while working, of setting fire to the grain crops, buildings; &c., also employing as an auxiliary, when necessary and where the surface of the land is very hilly, uneven, or swampy, winding-drums .with wire ropes, mounted on large cart-wheels or grooved pulleys or sheaves, one set at each end to haul the locomotive-bridge,forward and backward, and to aid in the locomotion over'the land at different rates of speed to suit the work on hand, and capable, when requiredby means of the electric or other similar artiiicial light, to do its work in the night-time almost as well. as in the day-time. XVhere the boundaries of a farm are irregular and thelayo'f the land, from the existence oi' deep ravines and gulleys or otherwise, will not permit of its being divided into exact strips of iii'ty feet wide or thereabout, l would shorten, the length of the,locomotive-bridge to suit such a farm, or, it necessary or desirable, the length of the locomotive-bridge may be greatly increased (so as to take and cover much wider strips of land without adding much to the first cost of the whole machinery and apparatus) by merely plaei ng a third set of three bearing-wheels in a line under the center of the locomotive-bridge, traveling on the bare ground between two rows ofthe drilled grain or other crops, so arranged with strong springs or by hydraulic pressure as to support and relieve the locomotive-bridge ol" a sulliciei'it portion of its weight, but not enough in any case to injure or ailect the proper steering qualitics of the endless railway at each end, the el'- fect of increasing the length ot' the locomotivebridge being more a question of consuming more fuel and doing more work in a given time than the expense incurred in lengthening the locomotive-bi.'idge.

Il. As far as possible, by means of machinery and suitable apparatus, driven by suitable motive power, to eileetually substitute for the chl-fashioned plows, eultivators, elod-crushers, rollers, harrows, seeders, and similar traction impleinents-involving the work of iive or six expensive operations bel'ore ]'n.'oduei.ng

a completed seed-bod-a series ot' quick rotating and reciprocating inqllements, suspended over the whole width ol` the strip ol' land to be cultivated and spanned by the locomotivebridge, both vertically and horizontally, capable of seltruljustment as to the depth the rotating implements have to penetrate beneath the uneven surface ol" the land, in order to produce a more thorough and accurate pulverization and ae ation ofthe soil; and, also, by means of a series ot'.partly-flexible tubes suspended under the locomotive-bridge ina line between and sometimes directly behind the rotating implements, connected with a seed-sower, placed on the locomotive-bridge and immediately over the rotating implements, to sow the seed the required width and depth, the whole apparatus being propelled w'ith a IOO slow progressive movement, producing a seed- I ofthe bearing-wheels, or atthe sides or other bed titty iect wide, more or less, and any length that the circumstances may dictate, provided the length is not too short, so as to avoid the too frcquenttransfcrs of the locomoti ve-bridge from one strip of land to another, and consequent loss of time, (hereinafter referred to and shown on the drawings.)

III. In so arrangingI and attaching in a ver tical and horizontal position to a self propelling motive power apparatus a series of rotating and reciprocating cutting and digging implements, whereby the soil between the rows ol' growing crops, whether grain, corn, root, or fruit crops, or crops of cotton, tea, or other tropical plantscan be effectual] y and repeatedly stirred, hoed, or earthed up from the time the plants are two or three inches above the ground until they have attained the height ol" three or four feet, thereby encouraging and facilitating a more rapid growth, drying up and raising the temperature of cold wet soils, especially in spring time, and in a long season of drought supplying moisture to the plants from the subsoil, through the instrumentality of capillary attraction, tothe great benefit of the growing crops, and whereby, also, in the case ot' surnmer fallowing or autumn-work, stubble, grass sod, or a green crop for the purpose of greenmanuring, maybe dug up and buriedbencath the surface, bringing the virgin snbsoil to the surface to be made friable when acted upon by the autumn rains, frost, and atmosphere. IY. ln order to secure the most accurate travel and steering of the locomotive-bridge, so that the dropping of thc seed in astraight line from the seed-drills, and then the rotating and working ofthe several implements between the rows of grain, d'0., may be effectually attained, I lay out the farm or block ofland to be cultivated in parallel strips of the proper width to suit the distance or span between the' endless railway and bearingwhecls of the locomotive-bridge, forming parallel paths or roads, accurately prepared, graded, and leveled as much as possible, for the passage to and fro of the locomotive-bridge, which, by means of its great weight, endless railway and broad-bearing roller-wheels consolidates and hardens the surface of thc bare ground, soil, or sod into permanent roadways or tracks never to bc broken up orcultivatcd, but to be used and kept in repair solely for thepurposes of this invention. By these means I am enabled to entirely dispense with the einployment ot' allparallel lines of iron railways, wooden sleepers, ties, &c., arranged upon the cultivated land, except to 1-o two hcadland tramways, which ma., oe distant from one to several miles apart, as circumstances may require. lo enable, also, the steersman to have an uucrring line to steer by, I cause to be indented and impressed into these permanent paths, one or more shallow and slightly-beveled grooves formed by projecting rims or flanges attached to the centers ot' the peripheries convenient places when I am obliged to use the hauling wire ropes and naked bearingwheels alone; but when employing the endless railway alone or in conjunction with the Wire ropes, l. then use small pilot-wheels in front and rear ofthe endless railway capable of adjustment, for the saine purpose of indent-ing shallow grooves into the hard ground at or about the centers of the paths. I n both cases, luwever, l add a small pointer three or 'four feet long in front of the wheels and endless railway,attached tothe locomotivc-bridge,and as close above and in line with the shallow grooves as possible, so that the least inclination to the right or left can be distinctly seen from the top of the locomotive-bridge by the steersmau.

Y'. lIn the harvesting ofthe grain crop, three or more plans can be adopted to suit the several countries and the exigcncies ot' the different climates, viz:

lfirsl. '.lhe grain an be reaped and allowed to fall on the revolving webs or aprons of the reaper, carried up and delivered on the locomotive-lnidge in a fontinuous swath, ready to be bound into sheaves by means ot' any of the recent self-acting appliances now so successfully used in combination with the ordinary two-horse reaper. Il thought necessary, these bound shear s can be carried on the locomotive-la'idgo a short distance to save haml-labor, then thrown ol'f behind to the laborers to be set up in slooks for drying. \Vhen all the reaping ofthe grain on the l'arm iscompleted, and the sheaves ot' grain are fit for the stackyard, they are carried there lirst by the locomotive bridge itselt'as far as the headlaud, and then by a hcadlaiul-truck (one for each headland) constructed about thesamc height, breadth, and length as the locoinotivc-lnidge, which truck does all the carting 011 the headlands to the granary, traveling on an iron railway or tramway. ployed for the purpose ot' cart-ing fuel and water required Afor the steam-engines 011 the 1ocomot-ive-bridge from the barns 0r other buildings adjacent thereto.

Second. Or when not intended to be put in stacks, but eventually to be thrashed in the tield when dry enough, the grain can be first reaped and then left on the ground to dry in a continuous s Yath, to be thereafter picked up by the revolving aprons on the reaping-frame, carried up and passed through the several thrashing-machines on thelocomotive-bridge, the grain being gathered into bags at the sides of thetln'ashcrs in the usual way, the thrashed straw allowed to fall on the ground behind the shakers, to be dug in, burned. or carted oli` as eircumstancts may demand. The bags of grain are carried on the locomotivc-bridge to the headlaud, to be then shil'tedonto the truck already mentioned, by means ot" small handtrucks to avoid lifting and luuulling, and a fresh quantity ol' empty bags taken on board from the headlaml-truck, repeating the same This truck is also ein-- IOO IIO

is completed.

Third. In harvesting in very warmelimates, where the grain is fully ripe and' dry bel'ore reaping, such as Australia, India, California, the Western States, and the Northwest Territories of Canada, itis very often the practice to thrash the grain immediately after it is reaped, iirst binding it into sheaves--for the sole purpose of making it more easily handled the thrashing-machine following closely after the reapers in the same field,- the thrashed grain bagged and sometimes shipped the same day on very many large farms. Now, in this my third plan of harvesting, it is intendedby these improvements todo away entirely with the work of binding the sheaves and the employment of hand-labor to handle, feed, and attend the thrashing-machines, horse-powers, &c., and in lieu thereof to lead and carry the erop of grain, immediately after it is rez'lped, in a continuous swath up the slatted and revolving aprons to the several thrashing-1michines, the grain being bagged and carried to the headland as already mentioned, and the straw allowed to fall behind the shakers, spread out in a good condition to be burned,if thought iit so to do, or raked up by rakes attached to the locomotive-bridge at any future time, and carried to the headland, if so required, to be stacked there or drawn to the barn by the headland-truck. Itv will thus be seen that these long headland-trucks are the only connectinglinks between the locomotivebridge working on the land and the buildings composing` the farm-steading on each headland, for the express purpose of cart-ing all I the crops off the soft cultivated land, avoiding all the injurious effects of treading, poaching, and in several other ways consolidating the surface of the soil, first by a variety ot' traction implements, then by men and animals. The long headlandtrucks are therefore one of the most important elements in carrying out this invent-icm',namely, dispensing with a very large portion of the constant heavy and tedious manual labor now required to successfully farm any paying quantity oi'iand, and, with the slight exception of two horses for the headlands, of doing away entirely with the necessity Aof employing animalpower. For it is well-known that `one good horse can, on a good moderately level tramway, draw at least a teu-ton load at cach trip, which will be quite sufficient-to keep both the locomotivebridge and the two head1and-trucks well employed, and, when working,r in harmony with each other, oughtv and can do all the cai-ting oft' the land required l'or a twelve-humlred acre farm, so that as tar as housing all the crops in the granaries and barns and the supplying the steam-engines on the locomotive,- bridge with fuel and water are 'concerned two horses are all that are needed-one at each D tramway and headland.

VL In the harvesting of; root and such like crops, several plans will readily sue-gest vof harvesting themselves to the intelligent farmer and marliet-gardener to suit different circumstances,

as there are ample means provided for attaching to both sides of the locomotive-budge and to the duplicated angle-iron frames, used for the reaping and mowing, any of the numerous and improved potato and turnip diggers, and

landing the roots (as described for the graincrop) onto the locomotive-bridge, which has a clear and unobstructed deck of iifty feet long by iiiteen feet wide,with plenty of power close at hand to do all the work required for such purposes. The angle-iron frames above mentioned are made capable of adjustment vertically, and may be raised and lowered the required distance above thc ground to suit the crops. i They are. also provided with wooden flooring the whole length, so as to enable them to carry several working-hands to do most of' the light work required 'lor a root, fruit, and cotton cropfsuch, for instance, as weeding and thinning out .roots oi' all kinds, picking and gathering strawberries, cotton, de., the onward progress ol' the loeoinotive-bridge being set to travel in all such cases 'very slowly to accommodate that particular class of work.

Vil. ll'aving described the manner of hoeing and earl-hing up between the rows oi'l grain crops, &c., where the seeding and drilling is continuous, and where the locomotive-bridge has only to be transferred endwise on the two headlalid-tramways to lake up a new fi fty-t'eet strip ol' land i'or `all the purposes mentioned, butwhere the crop is 'not sown in drills or rows, butplanted in hills, like the tea-plant, from i'our to six feet from center to cent-er, or sometimes, like indian corn, of a much less distance, and where transverse boeing, dre., is required, and has to be dene as well as the longitudinal hoeing, I thenemploya lowturn table, made in the usual manner, either withor without anti-'friction rollers, about eight feet in diameter, and place it on one of the headlands, but at one ot' the corners ofthe farm, (so as to take atb-*antage of a side road and open space to get turning roonn) and place the centerol'lhetuin-table in the center oi' the outsidepath. One oli' the endless railways is made to mount on top of the turn-table, is scotched there, and thrown out oi' gear with the engine, the endless railway at tbc other end ot' the locomotive-ln'idge being driven round until the loco]notive-'bridge assumes a position on i beside land ol' the i'arin, at right angles to where it had worked before,4to repeat the same class ol' work transversely, except that at every iil'ty-ieet strip ot' land the vertical rotating tools are lil'ted up out of the ground simultaneously ('by proper machinery shown and described hereinafter) to avoid cntting and breaking up the permanent paths already described and alluded to, and so invaluable for the purposes ot' this invention. The transverse work is necessarily more expensive to do and tedious to perform, on account -of having to lil't all the cultivating-tools so often at every pathway. The moving of the loco- IIO motive-bridge endwise on the side lands is done in the same manner as on the headlanlfls, except that there is no necessity of laying down several miles of railway the whole length ofthe farm; but only a stretch about double the length of the locomotive-bridge, made in convenient l ngths for the horses to move endwise at ach. successive time the locomotive-bridge comes back to take up a new strip to work upon. Two low trucks are employed to move the bridge on the tramway 'on both the headlands and the side lands. (Hereinafter shown and described.) The endless railway is also applicable for all kinds of traction-engines to secure a bite and propellingpOwer for the drivingI and bearing wheel." traveling over farm-land and on common roads, especially when plowing and ,cultivating. When the traction-engine is employed in plowing, die., I adopt, with a slightalteration, the turn-table previously described for turning the locomotive-bridge round from the headlands to the side lands or elsewhere. For instance, if from outside to outside of the two endless railways be twelve feet wide, and the engine is plowing a width of 'fourteen feet, then the turn-table will be made large enough to accommodate one side of the endless railway when mounted on it, to be about a foot distant from its central piv-ot, so that when the endless railway on the opposite side is driven round a half-circle the engine and railway will be exactly in the proper position to take up a fresh strip of land to plow, &c., immediately alongside the previous stretch operated upon.

W'ith thcaid of the accompanying drawings, I will now proceed to give amore detailed description of the several parts when pnt iogcther in their proper order, the same letters referring to similar parts in all the drawings.

Figure l is a front longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan, of my lnodern steamfarmer as it would appear when hoeing or eultivating a strip or stretch. of land lil'ty feet broad, or including a space taken from the inside of one set of bearing-w heels to the outside ofthe other set 011 the opposite end, of about iifty-four feet. rlhe endless railway is left out in this view, but shown more in detail in a subsequent drawing7 for thcsakc of elearness.

c c are the paths or roadways, prcparel'l, graded, and their surfaces hardened and consolidated, as already described, laid out in lengths as long as possible to avoid the loo frequent changes and transfers ofthe locomotive-bridge at the headlands, because, in applying steam economically to the work of the farm, the saving of time incurred by stoppages and interruptions is the essence of the entire undertaking.

b b are the projecting rings or rims on the hearing-wheels c c, forthe purpose ol' impressing or indenting shallow grooves Il Il. vin lh(-l paths, fromone to two inches deep and'slightly beveled upward and rounded olf at the corners, in order to make a visible clean cut and l gearing at right angles into the miter-wheels l an unerring line for the steersman to steer by, l foi-,lackingsome such likeeontrivance,it would be almost impossible to drop the seed in line in the drills or work the series of vertical tools between the rows of grain, &c, or, in fact, to carry out the intention ofk this invention to the extent desired. rlhc vertical and tubular spindles (lettered d) represent the arms or handlcs. on the lower ends of which the series of revolving and cutting tools (marked e) are screwed onto or otherwise securely fastened by anyof the well-known appliances. On the left end of thisriew have shown the tools c, about six inches in diameter, first working between rows ol' the wheat-plant two or three I inches above the ground, and then farther t0 the right, wm'king up to two 0r three feethigh, twelve inches apart. every alternate spindle (Z is allowed to remain idle, while. their mates carry and work tools from twelve to eighteen inches diameter, as in rows of turnips, sugarbecls, and potatoes, two feet apart. Farther toward the other end of this view is seen the .reciprocating harrow l', three feet long b v one foot. broad, having thirty-six sharp-pointed sl eel teeth suspended and propelled by thetwo six-inch cranked disksj', harrowing and producin a incl y-rak ed seed-bed four feet broad, after which .followthe seeding-tubes, setapart the required distances tosuitthecrop. (More clearly shown on a larger scale in a subsequent drawing.)

f/ is a suhsoil scut'ller, capable of cutting, stirring, and lifting npthe suhsol twoorthree found necessary,

l l l l l I inchesvtliut not inverting it) from'a depth of eighteen inches. or more,il required. (ll'ereiualler shown in l "igs. 17 to 2U.) This tool y is well adapted for silmmcr-iallowing and invigoral lng old exhausted heavy wheat-lands, breaking up and stirring the suhsoil hardpan,invariahly formed and causedhythelong and constant use of the plow and similar traeiion-instruments. The working-tools c j" ,r/ can he lnade ol' any particular pattern, size, l

or shape lo suit the fancy or whim ofthe purchaser, without deraciing from the principle in the least; hut what I wish to l'iasemyclaim on, and for which l am seeking .Letters filatl cui', is in introducing, for the vlirst time, tothe l farmer and agrieulturist a motive-power ap- ]niratus having a series ol.' revolving and rei -iproeating sharp euttingtools suspended l over the land to do their work, and producl ing a perfect seed-bed,withthe seed deposited l at one and the sume time of operatioiraud not bearing or treading ou thcsurlaee of the land, ,I as plows and similar traction implements neeessarlly have to do to accomplish their work, I besides having' to go over the land several times for an inferior result. lheI spindles d sl l series o1 cy )l of which ide up and down-in the Ishafts on the upper ends are keyed fast the milcrwheels 1',

j, which latter are also keyed fast to the long horizontal and tubular main shalt c,

-I n the center of theview i ICO IIO

access to the shafting and gearing dotted through the wood'en box covering, partly broken to expose a portion ofthe main shaft and miters. rlhis box-covering is made of stout planking, the top side, of which is capable of removal for purposes of oiling and g, and is firmly fastened to the Vllooring on, of the locomotive-bridge. yn arel aseries of light caststeel transverse brackets, through which work and rotate the upright shafts 71 sustained in their positions by the means of broad collars fast on their lower ends. The manner of selfadjustingthc rotating implements to the proper depths they would have to penetrate the surface of the soil, also the adjusting of the seeding-tubes, and the manner of lifting and lowering the spindles d, tclescoping into the cylindrical shafts l1, will be more fully explained hereinafter by means of separate drawings.

ois the seed-box, placed and fastened on top of the box partly drawn and -broken off at each end, the balance ofthe length being only dotted in along with a transverse sectional View. Shaft 0*, which reaches the whole length ofthe seed-box, and is driven at the ends by the pitch-chain o`l in gearwith the bearingwheels c c, is also better shown in the separate drawings last mentioned.

I now come to describe the construction of the locomotive-bridge, which is formed and iliade up of four angle-steel latticcd and longitudinal girders, p, and the transverse girders of similarmake, q, and angle-braces lr, (Better seen dotted iu plan, Fig. 2, and also more fully shown in cross-section, Fig. 3.) The whole is stiilfened laterally, and :held more firmly together by means of the three-inch tonguedand-grooved flooring m., which is, previously to bolting on, well creosoted to resist the action of the weather.y lt is computed to carry a load of twenty tons to the lieadla11ds,\vl1en equally distributed over' the i'looring between the spaces occupied by the motive power at cach end-that is, the product of a crop of Iwheat two miles long and fifty feet wide, or about fourteen .acres at forty bushels to the acre., in addition to the weight of machinery, &e. s s are two small sheds or cabooses-one at each end-made ol" some non-combustible material, to protect the machinery connected with the motive power from dust, &c., and also to prevent any tire taking place from sparks or coals p of fire escaping from the boiler-furnaces, bc-

tachcd .to the smoke-'stark'. -steam is conducted into the sides having 'an eiicient spark-arrester at- The exhaustwater supply tanks underneath the 'tlooring-three innumber-ateach 'end of the locomotive-bridge instead of into the smoke-stack. The vertical engines t t are placed as close as possible in front of the boilers n.v n, The spur and miter gearing, with friction-clutches, &c., both for driving the main shal't /.f, and the gearing em"- ployed for propelling the locomotive-bridge, of which there are three plans, hereinafter referred to, the bearings for all the gearing are supported at each end on the two tranverse I girders r/ which gird'ers are then in their turn supported on the transverse channel-iron frame-work o r of the bearing-wheels. Although not shown. on the drawings, the eugines are intended to be properly balanced on cach side of the cranks.

'n 1r are two ily-wheels, which may be used for other purposes thun those already speciiied.

.fr are' two small wiuding-druins-one at each end-*for the sole purpose of hauling the locomotive-bridge endwise on the headland railway v/,vasseeu in Fig. 3, by .means of the small wheels ,c e between the three large bearing-wheels a a' c. These two wheels e 2 one set at cach end, are lifted up when not wanted, and pressed down on the headland railway when required to suspend the locomotivebridge to move it endwise, by means of the two hydraulic cylinders b b.

In Figs. 3 and the manner of attaching the cylinders b b and wheels z z to the frame 'u e is more clearly seen. An important point in the design and construct-ion of the locomotive-bridge is the placing of all the weight of the driving-gearing and motive-power inachinery, also the fuel and water, immediately over and outside the two points of suspension or main bearing wheels, acting to a large eX- tent as a counterpoise to all the working, cultivatin g, and harvesting machinery suspended between these two points, including also the heavy load it has to carry to the headlands at harvest time. This overln'lnging weight will have a good effect in eqnalixing the pressure on the bcari11g-surfaces of the endless railway, the wheels and the paths c a producing a better bite or 'friction on the latter, and obtaining more steeri rig-power. c c' are leverstwo at each end-eonnected by the rods d d and the spur-pinions and rack c c', placed under the ilooring for the purposel of throwing the largcand powerful friction-clutches f f out of gear. 'Retaining the clutches in gear is done by the powerful spiral springs against the movable disk of the friction-clutch. It is by and through these two levers and one clutch at each end that I ani enabled to control thc stceri ng of the locomotive-bridge with only one man, the action of steering being as follows: The steersman stands alongside the twov levers c c in front and at either end of the locomotive bridge, immediately behind and above the front pilot-wheel and a small pointer, shown hcreinalter, and keeps a good look out that both the lat-ter and the shallow grooves 71.',71. on the paths c a, already mentioned, keep in line together; but as soon as he perceives there is a tendency of the pointer,

the center ofthe strip of land tllen being operated upon, then it is a certain indication that his end ot' the loeoiactive-bridge is prothe opposite end. 'lie accordingly retards its progression by merely kthrowing out of gear in front of where he stands, inoliuing towardA gressi-ug too fast, and that it is in advance of IOO IIO

g y', encircling the crank-shaft and pressing 6 292,5ill.

t Y I I A 1 for a moment the clutch behind where ,he l and drawn 1n lull in front elevation and wlth stands until the pointer and the shallow groove h agree to fall into line again. l'f, on the other hand, tllie pointer should incline to the outside of the strip ol" land operated upon, then the steersinan reverses his last action to secure the contrary result. As it will be al most impossible to maintain the same pressure of steam in both boilers at such a distance apart, Ixasmall iron pipe, 'i'. under the ilooring n, (seen dotted in plan, Fig. 2,) the open ends of which pass up through or alongside and enter at near the top of the steam-spaces of both boilers, eqnalizing the pressure ot' both boilers to within a pound or two, keeping both the cylinders and governors up to their work, preventing any backlash in the gearing, giving equal progressionto each end ofthe platform-bridge, and thereby securing a more correct steering. jj are the levers supplied to the two frietioirclutehes 7s k', in connection at each end of the main shalt 7.', which is driven by the two engines with two separate and distinct sets of spur-gearings, to suit the varied speeds the cultivating implements may require, or allowed to remain idle, if necessary, while the 1')ro1' elling-gear may have te be in use.

Figs. (i, 7, and S are three views ol' my .improved endless-web railway, which is contidently expected to take grip orbite enough on the surface of the permanent paths (L c. to absorb all the power given out by the two engines that will be required vfor propelling the locomotive-bridge over moderatelylevel lands; but where the land is very hilly and swampy, and where the wel) ol' transverse planks might and is very likely to slip and slide through watery mud, further, when all the power ot' the engine would be applied l'or any class ot' work requiring traction only-such, for instance, as cutting one or more deep trenches l`or pipe-tile draining, or open trenches l'or sluiaee-drainiiig-which is a class oi' work very necessary and important in an agricult ural point of view, in all such cases just men tioned I recommend the addition of two wire ropes anchored ahead, and attached through wilnling-drums at. each end of the platlormbridge, as shown in Figs. 22, 23, 30, and 3l, hereinafter more particularly described. Fig. 6 is atransverse sectional elevation ol the locomotive-bridge, taken on line A. l?. Fig. 7 isa horizontal section on line U l), and Fig. S is a i'ront elevation. .lt will be seen that the two outside bearing-wheels e c are both driven simultaneously, and always work in unison with each other, no matter in which direction they are driven, by means et' the four powerful and endless pitch-chains, fi', which gear into, first, the four large pitch-chain wheels, m', fast on the two bearing-wheel axles n; the pitch-ehains t then gear with the two double-toothed pitelrchain pinions o', fast on the slow-motion shaft p', connected through the counter-shalt q to the .engine-shalt r', all driven by stout spur-gearing' properly speeded, as seen dotted lines in transverse section. The center bearing-wheel c and its two small neighboring wheels, s', are kept in their places by the carriage-spring t', the three ol" them bearing up about a third ot the load to be carried. They lirst preventthe planks u l'rom buckling up on uneven surfaces, and losing their bite and hold on the ground; and, secondly, distributing the load on live bearing-Wheels instead ol' two. w are the pilot-wheels already referred tio-two at each end and side of the locomotive-bridge-with their central projecting rims, I), to form and indent the grooves 7L h onthe permanent paths, lfor the purpose o1' giving the steersman an nnerring guide-line to steer by, eit her by night or day. rllhey are loosely but lirml y attached to the channel-iron transverse tra-mes r11, and are raised andheld there or lowered, when required, through the double set ot'jointed levers y.

I am aware there are several ways and plans that a steering guide-line can be marked on. the permanent paths, other than those l have shown and described; butl l thought it' unnecessary to ment ion them, judging those shown quite sullicieut, supposing them to be the least expensive to keep in repair and the most unn erring i'or the purposes sought to be attained. rlhe pointer -"',ah.'cady mentioned in connection with the steering, is merely a thin piece ot' wood, slightlybowed at one end, very similar to one ol" the ribs forming the cradle ol' a cra- (lling-Scythe. lhetwooutsideliearing-whecls c c, at each end ol" the locomotive-luidge, are turned up true on their own axle-centers, and are east or otherwise made with scmicircnlar indentations .3, to receive and lit loosely the broad steel or malleable-iron hinges a", which are securely riveted through the two-and-ahall' inch hard-woml planks u. to countersunk steel plates or washers on the under side, as well as through the hinges themselves, on the upper side, which are made slightly concave to tit the circle ol'the bearing-wheels, as shown in Fig. (i, the whole ol the planks u' being so hinged and lirmly held together that they i'orm a continuous web ot'endless bearingsurl'ace, their own weight, as they pass round on top, being sut'tieient to bring up any slack there may be, and the excessive strain. on the joints ol' the hinges ci in doing their work is prevented a good deal by their close tit and the large lrictional surl'aee obtained through the two halt-diameters ol.' the two outside bearing-wheels e e.

Fig. S) is a eiosssection of the two middle and longitudinal gir-ders, taken through the verticalr spindle l and the vertical eyliiulrieal shai't h, showing the manner in which the lifting, lowering, and self-adjusting ot' the rotating tools c are performed. l11 are the brackets, cast with journals` to receive the ends of the shafts h, in which the latter work and are sustained in their vertical position, bearing on the broad collars lr'. The shalt '/i, at its upper end, carries the unter-wheel i, revolving round l IO the open end of the T- pip b2,- `{ept waterl tubes, d and 0*', to the under side of the pistight by 1neans of the taperil rztss, bush, er gland screwed and fastene in o the shaft 7L! The two hydraulic pipes d oi e at eaelrside ofthe main shaft '/r, inside the box-coveringconnect with hyd raulie cylinders placed alon side the steam-engines at each end of the `loeomotive-bridge. These two cylinders do all the lifting and lowering connected with the bridge -and all connected with the culti vating implements. Both the hydraulic cylinders and the pumps are of the common type usually employed in such work, and I have therefore thought it unnecessary to show them on -the drawings, for the sake of clear-ness. c .is a tube connecting the under side of the piston f with the well g2, formed at the upper end ofthe cylindrical shaft h. The tubular rod d works through hydraulic packing at 2, forming an abutment for the iiuid to press against the working-piston h2, raising the tubular rod d, with its rotating implement, fast at its lower end, working` loosely through a collar and stud-pin attached to the center of the balaneing-beamji, the latter being attachedloosely by bolts r at each end tothe upright tubes r, whichin their turn carry the two small rollers i2, by means of the forked and cranked.endsshown. tuide-holes are made in the brackets n and the lugs mi, throughwhieh the tubes 'r2 are guided, and are free to rise and lower, as vacted upon by the rollers'l. It will be seen that the latter sustain all the weight of the workin@ implements, tubular rods d, and piston h', besides ,the weight'. of their own attachments. The

stud-pins/i, ou the inside 'ot' the collar of the 'beamfi arefuri'lished with -loose steel thimbles, that work in a grooveturned on the end of the spindle d. The latter passes through the head of the cultivating implement c, so as to permit the i'ree flow of the atmosphere into the cylinder-shaft h above the piston if, and, although therc'will not be much weight on each of the rollers l pressing on theland, still there will be quite sufficient to keep them down to their work and sustain the rotating implement c to its,proper depth in the soil, the several depths being regulated, when required, bythe sets'of graded holes on the ends of the upright tubes r`, to which the ends of the balancing-beam ji are attached loosely. It', however, the pressure is to be taken ofi' the surface ot' the earth immediately after it is pulverized, that particular roller Z2 can be lifted up a few inches out of wo'rk and fastened by a pin across and on the top of t-he bracket a. These changes involve a loss of time at each headland to alter the piu from one side of the bracket 4nv to the other, and are notdesirableiftheycan at all be dispensed with. The small rollers Z' are made double, to permit the balancing-beam to work freely, and the faces of their tires can be made the width required for their wor lr. From the foregoing it will be readily seen that as soon as the pressure is put on in the hydraulic cylinders on top of the locomotive-bridge, passing through two ton h2, (ft-he pressure being much in excess ot the weight to be lifted,) all the apparatus attaehed to the lower end of the tubular spindie d will be lifted u p and sustained there as long as necessary, and then as soon as the pressure is taken off and the 'proper quantity of fluid pumped, sucked, or withdrawn back out ofthe cylindrical shaft h', the tubular spindie l will gradually fall down until sustained on the soil by the rollers (lesc'ribed.

ln describing the above lifting, lowering, and self-adjusting apparatus I would here .re` mark that the self-adiusring rollers IP' are intended more Afor the purposes of sowing the seed and adjusting the seed-tubes tothe properdepth, also doing now and then some of the more precise work between the rows of grain, than to be employed for all and every class of cultivation on the farm, 'for it is presumed the surface ofthe land, after being worked by this apparatus for a few seasons,wi ll be snti'iciently level and will not require the selfadjusting rollers, but merely the lifting apparato"l alone, when the depth of cultivation is regulated by simply ilastening the two cross-pins through one ofthe graded holes shown at the upper ends ofthe upright tubes 7.51 for the proper depth required, the pins resting on and carried by the c1'oss-l' racl etsa, hutfree to move upward when required to be lifted. l. have shown another inode of raising and lowering the cultivatingimplementsin Fig. 24, to be hereinafter described; but l prefer the h draulic system, as suiting also for raising and lowering allthc ot her work already mentioned.

Fig. l() is a side and Fig. 1l an end elevation of the long headland-truck employed in conjunction with theloeoinotive-bridgeincarting off all the crops off the land to the several granaries, barns, and otherbnildings composing the farm-steaming. lt is a most important and the only link by which the locomotivebridge is enabled to remove the harvested erop to its proper destination on the farm. This truck has to carry as heavy aloud as the bridge, and is composed of three'steel lattiee-girders, a, of about hal f the depth of those used ofthe loeomotive-bridge5 but to make up for that it has a third set of central bearing-wheels, b". All the three sets of wheels b are arranged and arried bythe trans\v'erse channel-iron girders c, the axle-boxes of which are similar in make to those of the locomotive-bridge. d" are two \\'atertanks-one at each end-to supply the steam-engines with water, the eoal bein brought in bags and shifted from the truck to the loeomotive-bridge by means of the small hand-trucks already vreferred lto for shifting the bags ofv wheat. The tanks, when delivering the water,are placed alongside those of the locomotive-bri(lge, and,bein g upward of a 'foot higher, once the connection is made through a short piece of hose vfour or live, inches dia-n1- eter, the fresh supply of water is soon transferred from one set of tanks to the other. Enough at least for half a days work can be IOO brought at one trip from the term-steading. l application ot' so locating and placing themo- So also l'or the supply ot' coal or ot hei; t'uel.

Figs. 12 and 1,3 are a plan and longitudinal elevation ot' the locomot'ive-bridge, showing the rims or flanges l; at each side ot' the bearing wheels c, the latter being made in two halves, leaving an open space to reee'ivethe grooved sheaves p", which work loose on the axles of the inside or middle bearing-wheels c. (Better seen in Fig. 21.) The wire rope 2"", after passing a hallround on the sheaves p, is then carried up and passes two-thirds round the grooved sheaves 11"', working in bearings carried by the frame si. It is then led down, crosses, and is passed a half-round on the sheaves p2 again, and is then led ontin the opposite direction to which it entered, held up off the ground and guided by the two doubleconeaved thimbles t?, as indicated by the arrows. The sheaves qi are made fast; to the spurwheels ai which are driven by the spurpinions ci', in connection with the gearing on the engine-shattssimilar to that shown and d c- ,cribed in Figs. 1 and 2, lat' are two low headland-trueks, strongly built, as shown, and is the plan adopted i'or translerring the locomotive-bridge on the headlands from one st rip ot' land to another when the endless railway is used insteadof when the naked bearing-wheels and wire rope are employed alone, as here shown. The loeomotivebridge, as already described and shown in end view, Fig. 3, is lifted high enough to clear the rims or tlanges I) o ground by means ot" the two hydraulic cylinders b', transierring all the weight ol'the loeomotive-bridge onto the two trucks 11: when, as already mentioned, both trucks and loco motive-bridge are hauled ahead on the headland by means of the small winding-drains .fr and wire rope anchored ahead. The main shaft k is driven similar to that already described in Sheet; 1, except that in some cases I use spur-gearing ,ij-y in conjunction with the n'iitergeariug 7', as found most convenient. The pitch-chains 2L' and z", one set at each end ot` loeoniotive-l'nidge, (better seen in crossseetion, Fig. 11,) are intended to be applied to a smaller class ot' locomotive-bridges when employed for a lighter class of work-such as for market and fruit gardens, tte. The pitchchain z2, it will be seen, is prevented from getting out ot' gear and kept up to its work by the foursmall grooved rollers ci with the three pitch-chain wheels :",iaston the axles ot' the bearing-wheels c. These two views are very similar to those shown on Sheet 1, except the parts described.

I will now explain my mode of operation: First, by laying out and adapting the arrangement of the permanent paths a on a farm, without the necessity ot' resorting to thev very expensive employment ot'any iron rails, wooden sleepers, &c.,whieh would cost at least ten times the price ot' the best i'arm in the conntry; second, by adapting the unerring linemark indented on the said paths a l'or the purposes of steering; third7 by the design and tive powerand then attaching the cultivating implements to a steel lattiee-girder bridge, with the ends overhanging, as to obtain a clear and unobst ructed'deek or tlooring t'or the several implenumtsl and machines to be employed for the purposes ot' artieomplishing the work of the i'arm, such as cultivating, seeding, harvesting, and carting the crop ot'tf the land; fourth, by the use and apl'ilieation of' an endless-web railway, as shown and described, for the purposes set l'orth, also tor the use and application, when thought iit'-, of the arrangements for propelling the locomotive-bridge with wire rope mounted on wiluling-drums and large eart-whcels, as well as with grooved sheaves, as shown, t'or the purpose o1' aiding the locomotion.

Fig. 15 is a trent view ot' my digging-mw chine, which has already been the subject ot' l'ietters Fatent, with so much ot' the locomotive-bridge and main driving-shalt 7: at one end as is necessary to exhibit the manner oi driving the digging-eylinder and its connection with the loeomotive-bridge. Fig. 1.6 isan end elevation ot' the same, both views showing thedigging-cylinderloweredaboutnineinches in the ground. rl.`11ey are made about twelve feet six inches long, one placed at each end ot the locomotive bridge with their working spades, picks, or mattocks t facing in one di reet ion. digging two st rips ot' land at one ti me, amounting together to twenty-live l'ect, when on the return tourney the middle strip ol' twenty-live l'eet is dug up by another pair ot' cylinders havingtheir \\'orking-tools lacing iu the opposite direction, those eylilnlers placed and carried at the end, each pair working al ternately and taking two bouts to complete one strip ot' land ot'iii'ty l'eet. \\'hen invigorating exhausted heavy clay-land by digging to an extra' depth, so as to bring up to the surface the subsoil thoroughly inverted, that the action ot' the atmosphere, frost, and rain may ameliorat'e it and render it lnore fertile` it may be necessary to use only one cylinder at a time, as this elass ot" work takes a great deal of power and will not be required to be repeated on the same land for a long time, for it is presumed the summercultivation between the rows of grain, 6to., with the vertical rotating tools will keep the lan d in good heart', especially it' green-manuring be resorted to, as bet'ore mentioned. su isa shalt with miters at each end, gearing with the twoinclined shafts c, connecting with the main shaft k. The digging-cylinderj'i, on which the spading-tools 'u' are bolted l'rom the inside, is made ot' boilerplate one-t'ourth ot' an inch thick, thirty inches diameter, the tools u heilig about twelve inches long by eight or nine, inches wide, disposed on the cylinder in a zigzag fashion, and digging about'y two inches outside each end ot' the cylinder, so as to allow it to lower, when at work, into the treneh or cut t'ormed by the tools o'. '.the digging-cylinder and the shat'tw' are con nected together at both ends by the two pitch1 I Ot,

IIO 

